Archive for the Iran Category

WW E / III:  Trump, Inc. And “Insider Bombing”:  The Grift And The Graft;  The Circus And The Casino (March 30, 2026)

Posted in China, Derivatives, Insider Trading, Iran, Isreal, Niner Eleven, Oil, Propoganda, Trump, War, World War E, World War III, World's Reserve Currency on March 30, 2026 by e-commentary.org

. . .

J          “‘Insider Bombing’ works.  Trump is making foreign policy decisions to advance business opportunities for himself and his cronies.”

K          “That is unconstitutional and illegal, but such quaint guardrails are not impediments today.  Convicted felons, con men, child diddlers, loan sharks, used car salesmen, and real estate tycoons are making deadly decisions to make easy dough.”

. . .

K          “A number of detailed studies looked at all the insider sales of airline stock in the days before 9/11.  Some of those in power knew exactly what was planned and when.  When the official report found that there was no insider trading by disregarding and overlooking the evidence, I was even more convinced and satisfied that there was insider trading.”

J          “To read an official report today, insert ‘not’ in some sentences.  Delete ‘not’ in other sentences.  FIFY.”

. . .

J          “So many conservatives attacked Hunter Biden for pocketing a few dollars from Burisma in the Ukraine.  The total was less than a million dollars.  Trump and his gang are making billions from their grift and graft.”

K          “Biden, Inc. was involved in systematic corruption, but it was admittedly only chump change.  The Ukraine was and is a money laundering operation for the Democrats.  Everyone in power profits from war.”

. . .

J          “The U.S. has been running a protection racket.  The rest of the world can see that the bully pretending to do business as the policeman may not have the weapons, the tactics, and the grit to provide protection.  The gig may be up.”

K          “That is one of the surprises.  Many countries have long memories.  What the oppressed countries will do to the oppressors when the tables are turned may be unprecedented in human history.”

. . .

J          “The way things are going, boys from Boise to Biloxi to Bayonne are bound for body bags.”

K          “Some are saying that allowing a few hundred Marines to be killed would allow Trump and gang to galvanize the country in support of the war and invasion.”

J          “They are evil.  Nothing surprises me.”

. . .

J          “Trump talks about peace talks when they are not talking about peace.  They will be engaged in an even greater conflict on Memorial Day.”

K          “And still raging on the 250th Anniversary in July.  Iran has absorbed the blows.  To quit now would condemn the country for the next generation.  The leadership is decentralized and likely at least a dozen of the leaders will continue the fight.  Almost everything we are being told is a lie, yet we will know how this transpires in the next few months.”

. . .

K          “Israel and the U.S. launched their Hornets and stirred up a hornet’s nest.  The hornets get many vetoes and may get the last vote.”

J          “And maybe get the last laugh.” 

. . .

[See “Mysterious trading patterns follow Trump into war” by Zachary Basu in “Axios” dated March 25, 2026.]

[See the dense and detailed e-commentary ten years ago on the business activities of Presidents past and present including Trump, Inc. and how the profitable universities are part of the hustle at Clinton, Inc., Trump, Inc., Bush, Inc., Kennedy, Inc., O’Bama, Inc. (October 24, 2016) and “Clinton, Inc., Trump, Inc., Bush, Inc., Kennedy, Inc., O’Bama, Inc. (October 24, 2016)” Four Years Later (October 26, 2020).]

Bumper sticker of the week:

Behind every great fortune there is a great crime.

TACO:  Trump Always Chickens Out

Gallipoli 2026

When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn’t become a king.  The palace becomes a circus.  Ancient Turkish proverb.

WW E / III:  Two Weeks To Flatten The Country.  Oh, And Happy St. Patrick’s Day! (March 16, 2026)

Posted in China, Derivatives, Iran, Isreal, Oil, Trump, War, World War E, World War III, World's Reserve Currency on March 16, 2026 by e-commentary.org

. . .

K          “Six years ago to this very Monday, those in power proclaimed they needed only two weeks to flatten the curve.  Trump is now proclaiming that he needs only two weeks to flatten Iran.”

J          “Looks like Fort Israel may be flattened within a few weeks.  Everything is falling flat.”

. . .

J          “The two-year-old narcissist threw a tantrum and a hissy fit in public.  He does not play well with others.  And others are not willing to play well with him.”

K          “His behavior is so infra dig at a time when he is digging a deeper hole.”

J          “No one ever told him:  ‘When you are in a hole, quit digging.’”

K          “The sycophants and court jesters around him do not have the courage or the incentive to tell him that the puppet looks like a buffoon.  He went way off script when he became the first American President to acknowledge publicly that Israel has nuclear weapons and then surmised that Israel would not likely use them.”

J          “He is not operating with a functioning frontal lobe.”

K          “Time for the Twenty-Fifth Amendment?

. . .

J          “Most diplomacy and other shenanigans go on behind closed doors.  However, based on some official statements, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Australia and South Korea suggest they may not sail their vessels into the buzz saw.  They are able to look at the current AIS data and take a hint from the heavily-fortified Abraham L. and Gerald F. and supporting entourage of vessels that are staying way offshore and far from threats.”

K          “What if Trump issued a direct order to the U.S. Navy to sail into the Strait?  Although the order is irrational and suicidal, the order is not patently illegal under United States or international law.” 

. . .

J          “Those in power are shifting the narrative to support a draft.”

K          “On the Solstice, December 21, 2023, Frank Murkowski of Alaska delivered a present to the youth of America.  We are coming for you and taking your liberty and likely terminating your life.”

J          “Oh, And Have A Happy Christmas!  The soccer dad you mentioned will drive the kids to the induction center and swap soccer cleats for combat boots.”

. . .

K          “I must confess some surprise at how unaware and indifferent the public is to the horrors of the war and the likely devastating economic, political, and social repercussions in the next few weeks and months.  The indifference reflects a populace of zombies just trying to crawl through the day without looking up or making a commitment.”

J          “One needs to understand and cannot forget that the public is objectively overwhelmed by events.  Few have the emotional software and the intellectual hardware to make any sense of what is transpiring.”

. . .

K          “Someone could modify ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’ into ‘The Charge of the Lighter Barge’ to provide some poetic flair to the despair.”

J          “The Strait now appears to be a toll road open to those with Yuan or to those who pay allegiance to those who issue Yuan.”

. . .  

[See “Frustrated by Failure, an Unhinged Trump Begins to Tilt as Hormuz Standoff Heats Up” by Simplicius at “Simplicius76” on March 15, 2026.]

[See the e-commentary on the strategic, geographic and economic choke point that is the Strait at Strait of Hormuz or Deutsche Bank?  Deriving Derivatives (July 8, 2019) and So It Was The Red Sea And Credit Suisse.  Who’s Counting?  (Strait of Hormuz or Deutsche Bank?  Deriving Derivatives (July 8, 2019)) (February 12, 2024).  See the special edition uploaded on derivatives on St. Patrick’s Day three years ago this week at Special Edition.  Deciphering Derivatives.  Oh, And Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! (March 17, 2023).  The first rumblings of a draft are discussed more than two years ago at Le Draft.  And A Day Of Remembrance.  Oh, And Happy Presidents’ Day! (February 19, 2024).] 

Bumper stickers of the week:

FAFO

Karma

“When you are in a hole, quit digging.”

“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn’t become a king.  The palace becomes a circus.”  Ancient Turkish proverb.

Another Vietnam

WW E / III:  When Lies Fail (March 9, 2026)

Posted in Derivatives, Iran, Isreal, Middle East, Oil, Trump, War, World War E, World War III on March 9, 2026 by e-commentary.org

. . .

K          “Everyone is lying.  But this time, some truth will slither out soon.”

J          “Trying to tell, let alone convince, someone that he or she is not really waiting in a lengthy gas line to pay ten dollars for a gallon of gas will take a heaping dollop of Bernay’s Sauce.”

K          “While heading off to disgorge the kids at the military induction center.”

. . .

K          “The USA has had naval superiority for decades.  Does it matter now?  The USA has had air superiority for decades.  Does it matter now?”

J          “Who has drone superiority now?  The fundamental nature of war has changed in two big leaps.  First, the use of drones in the Armenia and Azerbaijan war in 2020 voided so many legacy weapons.  Second, hiding and moving the drones in mobile innocuous appearing civilian vehicles and using them on civilian infrastructure is a game changer.  Technology and technique are rapidly evolving.”

K          “When you first noted the development, I thought the President should have used readily available and unchallenged legal authority to ramp up a very quiet ‘Manhattan’ style project to produce drones.  Instead, the government insisted on relying on old technicity and outdated strategy.”

J          “Maybe.  The future of war is laser technology guided by AI.  The USA may be ahead in the race.  However, governments tend to be secretive about such programs.”

K          “Time to return to reading ‘Aviation Week and Space Technology’ along with the Sunday paper.”

. . . 

K          “It is ‘ISTAR’ [Intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance] versus ‘ISTAR’ now.  Who has better eyes and ears?  We are seeing and hearing in very close to real time.”

J          “The USA used its precision ISTAR to direct a missile strike at the Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school for girls in Minab, near the Strait of Hormuz.  At least 175 people were killed, according to Iranian officials.  Most of them were children.  USA.  USA.  USA.” 

. . .

J          “The ability of AI to create entirely new realties has so advanced in just the last year.  Nothing is believable.  Except the price at the pump.”

. . . 

K          “So much is changing and likely collapsing.  The U.S. Treasuries are being swapped for gold.  This thing known as the Japanese carry trade seems to be blowing up.  And Japan may soon run out of fuel.”

J          “The things known as the Repo trade and private equity and private credit seem to be blowing up.”

. . .

K          “The great philosopher Michael Tyson observed that ‘Everyone has a plan ‘till they get punched in the mouth.’  Israel and the USA did not even have a plan other than to kill, kill, kill, kill, and kill.”

J          “They are all getting punched in the mouth.”

K          “I do have a hunch who will throw the last punch.  And we are now blessed with the ability to bet on outcomes today.”

. . .

K          “The USA has never fought a war against a peer country since Russia resolved the Second World War back in ’45.  The US has lost all but a few skirmishes against some cub scouts since then.”

J          “There will be dragons.”

. . .

[See the e-commentary on the threat to Treasuries and the likelihood that the Treasury will simply lie about the sales at Holographic Treasury Rates?  The 500 Trillion Asset Steal?  And Then The Great Taking?  Oh, And Happy IRS Day! (April 14, 2025), the consequences of escalating militarily at U.S.A. Escalates Trump’s War With Russia.  Trump’s Budget Turbocharges National Debt (June 2, 2025), the unbroken string of lies at Afghanistan:  The Usual Lies And Liars.  Oh, And Happy I.F. Stone’s Birthday! (December 16, 2019) and a survey of American foreign policy at American Foreign Policy:  1945 –  ____ (July 24, 2023).]

Bumper stickers of the week:

“Everyone has a plan ‘till they get punched in the mouth.”  Michael Tyson

Dragon < Eagle > Bruin; Dragon + Bruin > Eagle; Eagle + Bruin > Dragon

“To be an enemy of America can be dangerous, but to be a friend is fatal.”  Henry Kissinger

When considering the reliability of information provided to you by the government of the United States of America, it is important that you recall and reflect:

[Big Bumper:]

They fibbed about Viet Nam.

They fibbed about Cambodia.

They fibbed about Laos.

They fibbed about Cuba.

They fibbed about El Salvador.

They fibbed about Nicaragua.

They fibbed about Guatemala.

They fibbed about Panama.

They fibbed about Honduras.                                                 

They fibbed about Venezuela.

They fibbed about Chile.

They fibbed about the Spanish American War.

They fibbed about the Mexican War.

They fibbed about Pearl Harbor.

They fibbed about 9/11.

They fibbed about Osama bin Laden.

They fibbed about Afghanistan.

They fibbed about Kuwait.

They fibbed about Iraq.

They fibbed about Saddam Hussein.

They fibbed about Libya.

They fibbed about Muammar Gaddafi.

They are fibbing about Yemen.

They are fibbing about Somalia.

They are fibbing about Sudan.

They are fibbing about Syria.

They are fibbing about Palestine.

They are fibbing about Iran.

They are fibbing about Ukraine.

They are fibbing about Niger.

They are fibbing about the War on Terror.

They are fibbing.

They do not seem to be telling the truth.

Things really did not turn out so super in Nicaragua, Grenada, Panama, Haiti, Bosnia, Serbia, Somalia, Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen, Pakistan, Iraq and Syria, but who is counting?

For four score and one years, the USA has engaged in an unbroken war of terror against the world.

Israel And USA Ignite WW E / III:  Trump’s War® (March 2, 2026)

Posted in Derivatives, Iran, Isreal, Middle East, Oil, Trump, War, World War E, World War III on March 2, 2026 by e-commentary.org

. . .

J          “Bad idea.”

K          “My constant fear. It was only a matter of time.”

. . .

K          “Trump promised no forever wars.  He lied. There are no two ways.”

J          “Trump promised no regime change.  He lied.  The two year old narcissist only knows how to lie and to rant and to rave and to deceive.”

. . .

K          “A friend of a sardonic disposition proffered the hypothesis that the Epstein Goons are using war in part fortuitously to divert attention from the Epstein revelations.”

J          “It promises to be a long war.”

. . .

K          “I believe our friend Sun Tzu observed:  ‘If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.  If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.  If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle. We do not know.”

J          “That skill requires two traits that are not American:  Self-awareness and understanding.  And a third. Intellectually curious. The U.S. may be its own worst enemy.”

. . .

K          “Wesley Clark reminded us that the U.S. plan was to take out seven countries in five years.  Iran is the only country left standing.”

J          “It is existential for Iran.  Iran intends to exist.  That truth requires understanding.”

K          “It is a 2500 year old rich and diverse culture taking on a not yet 250 year old consumer strip mall that once showed such great promise.”

. . .

K          “One word:  The Strait of Hormuz.”

J          “Damn straight.”

. . .

[See the e-commentary at Strait of Hormuz or Deutsche Bank?  Deriving Derivatives (July 8, 2019), So It Was The Red Sea And Credit Suisse.  Who’s Counting?  (Strait of Hormuz or Deutsche Bank?  Deriving Derivatives (July 8, 2019)) (February 12, 2024), Special Edition.  Deciphering Derivatives.  Oh, And Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! (March 17, 2023), World’s Reserve Currency War I = Cold War 2.0 = WW III (?) (September 8, 2014) and Le Dollar – World’s Reserve Currency? (November 28, 2011).]

Bumper stickers of the week:

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.  If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.  If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”  Sun Tzu, The Art of War

“We’re going to take out seven countries in five years, starting with Iraq, and then Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and finishing off Iran.”  Retired U.S. General Wesley Clark said that shortly after the September 11 attacks after a Pentagon officer told him about a proposed U.S. military plan to remove governments in seven countries within five years

“‘Operation Epic Fury’ because ‘Operation Epstein Diversion’ didn’t sound warfightery enough.”  Keith Olbermann

Guitar / Drum ; Dove / Hawk ; Pax / War. Oh, And Happy Memorial Day! (May 27, 2019)

Posted in Iran, Iraq, Military, Vietnam, War on May 27, 2019 by e-commentary.org

. . .

The Flag (May 31, 2010)

Time To Talk:  Hear The Guitar (December 9, 2013)

The Drums of War (February 20, 2012)

Intended Consequences In Iraq (August 3, 2015)

World Trade Center Building 7 And The AIA (May 18, 2015)

Giuliani – Draft Dodger And Chickenhawk (March 3, 2015)

Iraq:  Right On Track (June 16, 2014)

Bulk Collection Of Telephony Data.  Again. (December 16, 2013)

“Iraq” Is Arabic For “Vietnam” (March 18, 2013)

Iraq:  AGFPT.  Iran:  AGFPT II? (January 2, 2012)

Iraq:  Shock and Awe; Shocking and Awful (September 6, 2010)*

Shop While They Drop – The $2.99 Sacrifice (May 7, 2007)

Gettysburg and Iraq (October 30, 2006)

Staying the Collision Course In Iraq and The Mid-East (September 25, 2006)

Still Off Course (September 18, 2006)

The Virtues of an Iraqi Civil War (April 17, 2006)

. . .

[See the essay and commentary titled “War and Young Americans” in “The Automatic Earth” by Raul Ilargi Meijer with pieces by Sara A. Carter and Caitlin Johnstone, the recipient of the 2019 Pushitzer Prize in Commentary, and others including the powerful words of many vets dated May 26, 2019.]

Bumper stickers of the week:

Respect the troops

“Iraq” Is Arabic For “Vietnam” (March 18, 2013); “Iran” is Persian for “Vietnam”

Guitar / Drum ; Dove / Hawk; Pax / War

Plow Shares And Swords.  Oh, And Happy Memorial Day! (May 28, 2018)

Posted in Draft, Hypocrisy, Iran, Iraq, Kleptocracy, Perjury, Perjury/Dishonesty, Security State, Society, Syria, Terrorism, Vietnam, War on May 28, 2018 by e-commentary.org

. . .

K          “A sword in one hand, a plow share in the other.”

J          “On this planet, you cannot carry one without the other.”

. . .

K          “I’ll put down the plow and pick up the sword in defense of the village, but not based on a lie.”

J          “If not for lies, there would be far fewer wars.”

K          “They lied, kids died.”

J          “But not their kids.”

. . .

[See the e-ssay titled “The Flag (May 31, 2010)” and the e-commentary at “In Memoriam (May 26, 2014)” and “Reinstate The Draft; Reduce The Demand For War (Somewhat). Oh, And Happy Veterans Day! (November 6, 2017)”.]

Bumper stickers of the week:  [Big bumper]

When considering the reliability of information provided to you by the government of the United States of America, it is important that you recall and reflect:

They fibbed about Viet Nam.

They fibbed about Cambodia.

They fibbed about Laos.

They fibbed about Cuba.

They fibbed about El Salvador.

They fibbed about Nicaragua.

They fibbed about Guatemala.

They fibbed about Panama.

They fibbed about Honduras.                                                    

They fibbed about Venezuela.

They fibbed about Chile.

They fibbed about the Spanish American War.

They fibbed about the Mexican War.

They fibbed about Pearl Harbor.

They fibbed about 9/11.

They fibbed about Osama bin Laden.

They fibbed about Afghanistan.

They fibbed about Kuwait.

They fibbed about Iraq.

They fibbed about Saddam Hussein.

They fibbed about Libya.

They fibbed about Muammar Gaddafi.

They are fibbing about Yemen.

They are fibbing about Somalia.

They are fibbing about Sudan.

They are fibbing about Syria.

They are fibbing about Palestine.

They are fibbing about Iran.

They are fibbing about Ukraine.

They are fibbing about Niger.

They are fibbing about the War on Terror.

They are fibbing.

They do not seem to be telling the truth.

Things really did not turn out so super in Nicaragua, Grenada, Panama, Haiti, Bosnia, Serbia, Somalia, Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen, Pakistan, Iraq and Syria, but who is counting?

But who cares?

Niner 11: Revisiting The First Draft Of History (September 12, 2016)

Posted in Iran, Iraq, Terrorism, Terrorism-Free Month - June, The "Terrorist Tax", War on September 12, 2016 by e-commentary.org

. . .

Intended Consequences In Iraq (August 3, 2015)

World Trade Center Building 7 And The AIA (May 18, 2015)

Giuliani – Draft Dodger And Chickenhawk (March 3, 2015)

Iraq:  Right On Track (June 16, 2014)

Bulk Collection Of Telephony Data.  Again. (December 16, 2013)

“Iraq” Is Arabic For “Vietnam” (March 18, 2013)

The Drums of War (February 20, 2012)

Iraq:  AGFPT.  Iran:  AGFPT II? (January 2, 2012)

Iraq:  Shock and Awe; Shocking and Awful (September 6, 2010)*

Shop While They Drop – The $2.99 Sacrifice (May 7, 2007)

Gettysburg and Iraq (October 30, 2006)

Staying the Collision Course In Iraq and The Mid-East (September 25, 2006)

Still Off Course (September 18, 2006)

The Virtues of an Iraqi Civil War (April 17, 2006)

. . .

Bumper stickers of the week:

“Those who cannot remember . . . .”  Santayana, The Life of Reason (1905)

*         “Did Osama win?”

#        “The War on Terror is over.  We decided to lose and we lost.  Definitely, definitively, decisively.  Now, terror in the U.S. is home-grown . . . by the U.S. government.  And the terror in the U.S that appears to be imported is predictable blowback and payback from prior U.S. terrorist activities abroad.”

*         “What goes around, they say.  At least something is ‘Made in the U.S.A.’ and also ‘Born in the U.S.A.’ today.”   

The Percolating Middle East (February 22, 2016)

Posted in China, Dollar - World's Reserve Currency, Iran, Iraq, Middle East, Russia, Syria on February 22, 2016 by e-commentary.org

. . .

8          “On one side you have Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey and the soldiers from the Sunni region of Iraq with some of its members d.b.a. (doing business as) ISIS or ISIL or IS.  They are the ‘Sunni Squad’.”

7          “Yet Saudi Arabia and Turkey really do not like each other.”  

8          “They just hate each other slightly less.  On the other side, you have Syria, Iran, Russia and the Kurds in the region who hate Turkey.  They are loosely the ‘Shiite Squad’.”

. . .

7          “Turkey has cited Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty and demanded that an attack on one member is an attack on all members.  Thus, Turkey contends that NATO nations must come to its assistance.  Right.”

8          “And thus join the ‘Sunni Squad’ and assist ISIS or ISIL or IS.”

7          “Challenge Saudi Arabia and lose its support for the PetroDollar.  Without the PetroDollar, the United States slides into second world status.”

8          “Or join the Russian gang and ally with the ‘Shiite Squad’ which is likely to be the winner if there is a winner.”

. . .

8          “Now which squad is China supporting?”

. . .

[See the e-commentary at Seriously Sizing Up Syria Seizing Up (October 12, 2015).]

Bumper sticker of the week:

The enemy of my enemy is my enemy?

Rerouting History (February 15, 2016)

Posted in Civil War, Dollar - World's Reserve Currency, Iran, Race, Slavery, Society, South, Southern Strategy, Uncategorized on February 15, 2016 by e-commentary.org

. . .

K          “Any GPS system will take you to the intersection of Ronnie Reagan Road and Saddam Hussein Highway without hesitation or reflection.”

J          “Or irony or regret.  But Quantrill was a domestic terrorist whereas Hussein threatened the supremacy of the U.S dollar as the world’s reserve currency and was not nice in an area with many not nice people.  We Americans should celebrate our own.”

K          “Our own what?”

. . .

K          “Changing the names of streets and schools does not rewrite history, it changes the names of the individuals who are celebrated on streets and schools.”

J          “I have found that those people who want to keep William Quantrill Circle are also those people who claim that the Civil War was about state’s rights rather than about slavery.”

K          “Streets and schools should be named after heroes not villains.  The history books should be written to reflect the actual history including the actual exploits of the heroes and the villains.”

. . .

K          “Not only are Stuart and Lee going down the road, Washington and Jefferson also will be sent down a trail renamed after someone else.”

J          “Rename the ‘Washington Monument’ on the Mall as the ‘George Washington Carver Monument’?”

K          “Then we could still refer to it generically as the ‘Washington Monument’ on the Mall.”

. . .

[See the e-commentary at The Confederate Flag:  What Does It Mean To You? (July 6, 2015) and Columbus And The Redskins (October 14, 2013).]   

[See the e-commentary at Has Scalia Gone Feral (March 4, 2013) and One Gun Per White Adult Male?  A Flintlock Musket?  The “One Man, One Gun” Decision (October 4, 2010).]

 

Bumper stickers of the week:

Happy Presidents’ Day

Celebrate heroes on streets and schools; chronicle the activities of the heroes and villains in the history books.

Seriously Sizing Up Syria Seizing Up (October 12, 2015)

Posted in Afghanistan, Bush, Climate, Dollar - World's Reserve Currency, Foreign Policy, Global Climate Change, Global Warming, Iran, Iraq, Middle East, Newspapers, Russia, Sports, Syria, Vietnam, War on October 12, 2015 by e-commentary.org

. . .

7          “They could make it easier if they wore jerseys with numbers.”

8          “The good folks could sport odd numbers and the bad folks could sport even numbers on their uniforms.”

7          “Or the good folks could use even numbers and the bad folks could use odd numbers.  Or use different defining colors.  Or stitch the sponsor of the team on the back of the jersey.”

8          “During the Southeast Asian War Games conducted in ‘nam, a ‘Stars and Stripes’ newspaper cartoon depicted two identical individuals in pajamas and flip flops – one described as ‘Friend’ and one described as ‘Enemy’.”

7          “Nothing changes.  Discerning one’s friends and one’s enemies among those wearing towels and sandals is vexing.”

8          “The great feud between the Shia and the Sunni seems akin to the great feud between the Hatfields and McCoys.  No one was right and no one really knew what they were fighting for and no one really knew why they were fighting.”

7          “The reality is that the enemy of my enemy is not my friend, the enemy of my enemy is my enemy.”

. . .

7          “Most folks are more comfortable with what the nerdy folks describe as a ‘Manichean’ division into good and bad, or right and wrong, or us and them.  International relations are described as a balance of power and depicted with a scale.  A pint of water on one side can be balanced with a pound of whatever on the other side.  Yet international relations are more akin to multiple Calder mobiles strung and hung together.  Tug on one string and everything tips out of balance.  The unprovoked invasion of Iraq by then President Cheney and Vice President Bush in 2003 was the great tug that triggered the imbalance accelerating today.”

8          “Toss a rock in the pond and watch the concentric circles and the eccentric responses.  The lack of water in Syria and other places is fueling the fury.  A drought of water leads to a drought of hope.  The world is transitioning from wars over oil to wars over water.”

7          “And wars over currency.  Everything is out of balance.”

8          “Seems that global climate change is bringing about global change.”

. . .

8          “For the U.S., ‘Iraq’ is Arabic for ‘Vietnam’.  For Russia, ‘Syria’ may be Arabic for ‘Afghanistan’.”

7          “‘Waterloo’ is French for ‘Waterloo’.”

8          “Or Esperanto for ‘quagmire’.”

. . .

7          “We make decisions with limited information.  Look at who is for and who is against going to war.  Former General Wesley Clark suggests that the United States seeks to take out Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Iran.  The Neo-conservatives in America want the United States to be mired in constant war everywhere on the planet all the time.  They keep getting us in trouble.”

8          “The bad folks.  Do they have even or odd numbers?  What color are their uniforms?”

. . .

7          “Much of the fighting is a prolonged currency war between the United States and many other countries.  The United States is slowly losing the franchise on the world’s reserve currency.”

. . .

[See the e-commentary at World’s Reserve Currency War I = Cold War 2.0 = WW III (?) (September 8, 2014) and Le Dollar – World’s Reserve Currency? (November 28, 2011).]

Bumper sticker of the week:

Are they doing the watusi when they should be doing the hokey pokey?